Evolution can not take place without a prior process of involution (emanation in Qabalah).
Lila/Kenosis - spirit involutes into matter for sport and play.
Maya - spirit sleeping in manyness.
"God does not remain petrified and dead; the very stones cry out and raise themselves to spirit." - Hegel
Anamnesis - Platonic/Vedantic "rememberence".
Step 1. We do not question the authenticity of experience of the great sages; evolution demands a constant recontextualization to bring the interpretations of these experiences up to date. Applying a 4 quadrant model removes the confusion of taking all "levels" higher than matter as meta-physical. Example: In Qabalah, Malkuth is the lowest rung on the ladder, where Yesod represents (depending on who you ask) instincts, emotional drives, vital nature, etc. "This places the feelings of a worm on a higher "level" than the complex neo-cortex...absurd." A four quadrant model moves "matter" into its rightful place as the "exterior" of all levels and no longer the bottom rung on the chain.
Each material form of increasing complexity has an interior correlate of increasing consciousness. The exterior form of the complex neo-cortex allows for the manifestation through matter of a thought field for example. Thought itself is not higher than matter, thought emerges at a certain complexification of matter. Therefor, thought fields are not somehow "above" or "transphysical" to mattter, but rather the interior (subjective) occasion of an exterior (objective) complexification of matter. Much of the pre-modern sages "meta-physical" realities were in actuality "intra-physical". Interior to matter.
Step 2. Post-Modernity explains much of the sages experiences through ethnomethodology, cultural contextualism, sociology of knowledge etc. (i.e. culturally molded and conditioned). This is the case because every individual is nested in systems of cultural and social networks. The 4 quadrant model handles this by dividing reality into interior and exterior (as in step 1), and also singular and plural such that any given moment exists in these 4 quadrants as an interior subjective experience, an exterior physical form (step 1), as well as an interior intra-subjective experience (culture) and an exterior intra-objective experience (social structures, systems theory).
As much as we hate to admit what post-modernity has proven about "meta-physical" realities, it does not negate the research. The problem with post-modernity is that it throws the baby out with the bathwater and dismisses all of the subjective and contemplative realizations of the pre-modern sages.
Step 3. In evolution, the greater the degree of gross complexity (complexification of matter), the more subtle the corresponding energy, and the greater the interior degree of consciousness. A gross energy is the support of a gross consciousness, a subtle energy is the support for subtle consciousness, etc.
An example in the Enochian System: The Enochian Heavens are not somehow ontologically pre-existing or separable from matter. They represent complexifications of matter and emerge in intimate correlation with matter. All of the great chain of being (from matter to mind to soul to spirit for example) arises with increasing complexifications of gross matter.
I love Ken Wilber
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